California lightning risk
Los Angeles County has the highest lightning risk in California, scoring 96.9 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded lightning events across California have decreased 43% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles County | 96.9 | Very High | 1 |
| 2 | San Bernardino County | 95.2 | Relatively High | 16 |
| 3 | Tulare County | 94.9 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 4 | San Joaquin County | 93.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | Stanislaus County | 91 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 6 | Contra Costa County | 90.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 7 | Kern County | 85 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 8 | Fresno County | 84.7 | Relatively High | 3 |
| 9 | Merced County | 84.6 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 10 | Placer County | 81.9 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 11 | Riverside County | 81.5 | Relatively Moderate | 10 |
| 12 | San Diego County | 80.9 | Relatively Moderate | 19 |
| 13 | Plumas County | 80.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 14 | Sierra County | 77.6 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 15 | Tuolumne County | 73.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 16 | Madera County | 72.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 17 | Nevada County | 70.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 18 | Ventura County | 70.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 19 | Mariposa County | 69.2 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 20 | El Dorado County | 69 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 21 | San Mateo County | 68.2 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 22 | Butte County | 68.1 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 23 | Orange County | 66.9 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 24 | Shasta County | 66.8 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 25 | Monterey County | 63.7 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 26 | Sacramento County | 63.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 27 | Solano County | 60.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 28 | Santa Cruz County | 59.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 29 | Sonoma County | 58.7 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 30 | Calaveras County | 56.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 31 | Santa Barbara County | 55.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 32 | Amador County | 52.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 33 | Sutter County | 49.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 34 | Kings County | 48.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 35 | Alameda County | 47.5 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 36 | Santa Clara County | 46.9 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 37 | Yolo County | 44.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 38 | Yuba County | 40 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 39 | Tehama County | 39.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 40 | Siskiyou County | 35.3 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 41 | Marin County | 34.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 42 | Inyo County | 33.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 43 | Lassen County | 33.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 44 | Humboldt County | 32.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 45 | Napa County | 30.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 46 | San Francisco County | 29.9 | Relatively Low | 6 |
| 47 | Mendocino County | 29.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 48 | Mono County | 27.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 49 | San Luis Obispo County | 25.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 50 | Lake County | 22.1 | Very Low | 1 |
| 51 | Glenn County | 19.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 52 | Colusa County | 16.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 53 | Imperial County | 16 | Very Low | 0 |
| 54 | San Benito County | 12.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 55 | Del Norte County | 12.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 56 | Trinity County | 11.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 57 | Modoc County | 9.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 58 | Alpine County | 3.1 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in California:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in California?
Los Angeles County, CA has the highest lightning risk in California, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 96.9 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in California are rated Very High for lightning risk?
1 of 58 scored California counties are rated "Very High" for lightning risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes lightning risk in California?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.